Have you been to Hole in the Ground? The 18 mile mountain bike ride starts up at the summit. “One of more popular, close by/out of the area mountain bike rides, people love to escape and try to something different,” Duane Strawser, of the Tour of Nevada City Bicycle Shop, he recommends the trail for intermediate or advanced riders. Ken Long of Tahoe Mountain Guides says Hole in the Ground was originally an “alternate for mountain bikers to stay away from the Pacific Crest Trail.” It’s currently undergoing a 3-5 year effort to rebuild the trail, with various local and national organizations helping. “Really sweet trail when it’s all said and done, incredibly enhanced,” says Long. Get out, this ride is great till the first snow of the season, if you pick a hot afternoon you can jump in the Lola Montez Lake for a dip. Want to give it a try? Tahoe Mountain Guides is giving one InnSide Nevada City blog reader a 10% coupon to learn some new mountain biking techniques, while Hole in the Ground is “one of the most difficult rides that we do” says Long, there are other options in the area if you want to try something a bit easier. Post a comment on this blog post on your favorite Sierra trail and I’ll draw the winner on Wednesday, October 10th. The winner of last week’s Full Circle Press is Lynn.